The Leopard - Criterion Collection
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Movie Reviews of The Leopard - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: Visually stunning...
Summary: 5 Stars
When making films, director Luchino Visconti was most interested in the visual; dialogue and characterization were really secondary. The Leopard is probably his visual masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful movies ever made.
But for me, a lover of the novel by Giuseppe de Lampedusa upon which the film was based, it is ultimately unsatisfying. The Fabrizio of the movie is not nearly as complex a character as the Fabrizio of the novel. The humor of the novel is barely even present in the film. There IS, however, an over-long battle scene - not part of the novel - from Garibaldi's Revolution, which is really unnecessary to the story.
Despite what the notes in the dvd version of the movie say, Lampedusa was not a reactionary pining the loss of his posh upper-class lifestyle, and Visconti's film is not a radicalization of his story by a "liberal" member of that same Italian aristocracy. The politics in Lampedusa's novel are much more complicated, and leftist, than those of Visconti's film.
Movie Review: Wish I Could Give a Sixth Star
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a cliche, but it happens to be true: They just don't make movies like this anymore, and it's our loss entirely. Thank goodness The Leopard is available on DVD, and in such a beautiful version. From the very first frame, I knew I was in the presence of an Artist who understands human beings and all their emotions. For three hours director Visconti, his peerless cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, and the cast, led by the astonishing Burt Lancaster and the painfully gorgeous Claudia Cardinale, cast a spell that you don't want to be lifted. I think I would have to experience this film at least three more times to truly appreciate it, so it is well worth the financial investment to own this three-disc feast. The extras are strong, with a fine documentary on the making of the movie and the U.S. version, edited and dubbed, of course. I enjoyed hearing about the relationship between Lancaster and Visconti; at first, the director opposed Lancaster's casting, but they became great friends and Lancaster even patterned his performance after Visconti. Once Visconti found out what a powerful presence his star was, there was no turning back. I can't think of an actor today, with the exception of Peter O'Toole or Paul Newman, who commands the screen like Lancaster and others of his breed. Once upon a time, movies were magic, and if you believe in magic this is where to find it.Movie Review: An excellent re-release of a classic film
Summary: 4 Stars
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
"The Leopard" known as "Il Gattopardo" in Italy was orignally released in two versions. The uncut Italian language version and the abridged English language dubbed version. This 3 disc set has both versions.
The film is a depiction of mid 19th Century Sicily and is based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. It is about a aristocrat in Sicily and his loss of rule during the unification of Italy.
Burt Lancaster does an excellent job in the lead role. Though his lines were dubbed in the Italian version, his did his own lines for the English version. The movie has some excellent scenes of Sicily and a very fine dance scene toward the end of the film.
The Criterion Collection has done an excellent job with the release of this set and includes some fine special features also.
Disc 1 contains the Italian language uncut version of the film with optional audio commentary by Peter Cowie.
Disc 2 contains an interview with the film's producer, Goffredo Lombardo (who died just last week,) an interview with UPenn professor, Millicent Marcus, who describes the historical events protrayed in the film, an hour long documentary on the film's production titled, "A Dying Breed: The Making of The Leopard," a series of news footage on the film's release, and theatrical trailers.
Disc 3 contains the abridged English-dubbed American version of the film with Burt lancaster doing his own lines.
This film is not to be missed!
Movie Review: Very disappointed by this movie
Summary: 2 Stars
I really, REALLY wanted to like Luchino Visconti's THE LEOPARD. No less a film authority than Pauline Kael wrote a glowing review of it in 1983, when it was released in Visconti's original Italian-language cut. "Magnificent" was one of the adjectives she used, and nearly everyone who has written a review for this Criterion DVD release has agreed.
I really wish I could agree, too. Believe me, I love foreign films as much as any film enthusiast out there. But I'll just come right out and say it: I found this movie BORING. I don't often say that about a lot of movies (not even about LOST IN TRANSLATION, which I hear a LOT of other people are calling boring, an assessment with which I passionately disagree), but there is no other adjective to describe my reaction to this film. Its 185 minutes move at a torpid pace, nothing of any great consequence happens (historically, of course, revolutionary changes were occurring in Italy, but Visconti can hardly be bothered to show much of it onscreen). But, most damagingly, none of the characters---not even the main character, Prince Don Fabrizio (Burt Lancaster)---are all that interesting, nor do they do or feel anything all that interesting either. By the time Don Fabrizio is kneeling down and looking at a star in the film's last moments, I wasn't moved (as beautiful as the imagery undoubtedly was); I was just glad that the picture was finally approaching its end.
Maybe I just missed those little subtleties that would have helped draw me into the characters and situations of this film. Or maybe this is the kind of movie that plays infinitely better on a big screen than on my much-smaller TV set. Perhaps one of these days, in the future, I will watch this movie again and appreciate it a lot more. For now, though, I am willing to give THE LEOPARD two stars for its visual beauty (Giuseppe Rotunno's cinematography, with bright colors that truly pop out at you, is often breathtaking) and beautifully lush score (by Nino Rota). Otherwise, THE LEOPARD just didn't dazzle me like I was hoping it would. It did worse; it bored me like almost no other movie I've yet seen (the lone exceptions being, maybe, one or two really bad slasher movies).
So here's my advice: unless you are a huge film buff and simply can't wait to see what the hype is about regarding this film, I would suggest either waiting for it to pop up on a big screen somewhere or just skipping it altogether. Personally, I'm glad I was finally able to see it, but I won't be singing high praises for it anytime soon.
Movie Review: Yes, it's cropped...
Summary: 3 Stars
Hmmm...Criterion has done a wonderful job bringing both the original Italian theatrical release and the original cut U.S. release together, along with numerous bonus features, on three discs.
Unfortunately, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the longer, original, Italian version is cropped on the left side of the film. It should be 2.35:1 like the U.S. version is, but it is closer to 2.20:1. Apparently the left side of the Italian version has been cropped, resulting in a small loss of content on the left side of the film. No one is really sure why Criterion did this, but they did, and it's unfortunate to say the least, especially for such an expensive DVD.
Fans waiting for this FIRST U.S. home release of The Leopard on any format, won't mind too much I guess.
Criterion has been pretty good when it comes to 'double dipping.' After re-releasing Lang's "M" I know more than a few Criterion customers were upset( both releases say original aspect ratio, one is 1.33:1 the newer is 1.19:1, hmm...), and now this cropped version of The Leopard.
If Criterion does re-release The Leopard uncropped, I would hope the original buyers of this version would get a huge discount on the newer release.